December 2017

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Ponderings

The end of 2017 is nigh.

To sum up I will share with you my “speech” from our Speech and Awards ceremony.

Speech and Awards 2017

In the mighty south west where the weather is our test,
And teachers and schools are far between,
On roads that are dusty and waterholes that are musty,
CSDE is the best school to be seen.

Ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys
Who is that making all that noise?
It is not our students that I see
Oh no, oh yes, it must be me.

It is time for me to give a speech,
When I would rather be at the beach!
Please forgive me for my rhyme,
I haven’t written in a long, long time.

Looking back across the year
Our days did quickly disappear.
Minischools, Multischools, Cluster Musters too,
So much learning to pursue.

On air, off air, in the mail,
Reading, and writing many a tale.
Adding, subtracting, dividing a few,
Always something more just when you thought you were through.
Mums and Govies and sometimes Dad
Keeping you from being bad.
Encouraging you to do your best
When all you wanted was a rest.

Teachers who loved you too,
Pushing and pushing to get you through.
And all the staff at SDE
Working unapologetically.

The P&C we must remember,
For working hard altogether,
To build a place of play for you
And putting a roof on it too.

But that is not all from them
As there was money for the extra things.
Camps that came and went so fast
Where you all had a blast.
Camps that will go down in history
For bringing a little misery.

We have much to be thankful for,
And so much left to explore
In our exciting world of SDE.
I know it does sound cheesy.
Two thousand and seventeen is done and dusted
And as a team we sure cut the mustard.
We welcome in 2018
To create a whole new scene.

Now it’s time to say our goodbyes
To those who leave us with wet eyes.
Lyndleigh, Zoe, Deidre and Macca too
We wish all the best for you.

Students who have been with us
We will miss you though I confess
I cannot rattle of your names
Which is such a silly shame.

Today I stand before you all
To celebrate this year’s long haul!
We have made it to the end
Because on you I can depend.
Today is good, today is fun!
Thank you, thank you everyone!

Looking forward to 2018

Staffing:

While we do not have the complete compliment of staff for 2018 the following announcements are confirmed.

Rickie Itzstein and Renae Heinemann will be on leave.
Principal: Jenny Swadling
Deputy Principal: Sarah Norquay
AO2: Ellen Daunis
Business Manager: Michelle (Mitch) Aspinall
HOD - Teaching and Learning: Leonie Herwig
HOD – Secondary: Mandy Roser
Case Manager/STL&N: Tim Wicks
P-2 Reading Coach: Tam Jenyns
HOD Western Alliance: Chris McIntosh (Mount Isa SOTA)
Secondary teachers: Mary Anderssen, Trish Nolan, Sam Owczarek, Jack Morris,
enessa Moore, Amelia Machray.
eKIndy: Erin Reilly
Primary teachers: Tam Jenyns, Rebecca Washbrook, Alison Simmons, Rachel
ooper, Alex Kirby, Leonie Herwig, Katie Allen, 3 X TBA
SWD/STL&N: Louise Upton, 1 x TBA
Teacher Aide Thargomindah: TBA

What is new?

As we constantly look for the most supportive delivery of the curriculum for our students we scan and assess what we are already doing, what else is happening in other similar schools, and prioritise the next piece of work that we will address. From this the following are the Priorities for 2018.

Reading:

Prep – Year 2:- The Partners in Learning project trial will support a key action of the Advancing rural and remote education action plan, which is targeting initiatives and resources to lift performance in reading of rural and remote students, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and with a focus on Year 3.

All students need to master the essential alphabetic code-breaking skills required for foundational reading. An integrated approach to learning to read in the first three years of school focuses on the core skills of phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, and comprehension and vocabulary knowledge. After the early years of schooling, students continue to be taught how to become expert readers through motivation and engagement attributes and reading to learn using reading accuracy and fluency, comprehension and vocabulary skills.

The Partners in Learning trial supports Every student succeeding, State Schools Strategy 2017–2021 which aims to lift performance across the system and ensure that every student succeeds.

The Partners in Learning trial will support home tutors of students enrolled at the six of Queensland’s Schools of Distance Education (SDEs) to develop skills to support their child’s reading linked to the Australian Curriculum. The development of the resource and coaching package and the training of home tutor coaches in each SDE will be focused on Prep – Year 2 learners.

Tam Jenyns will be our coach for 2018. Tam will also have a year 3 class. Tam’s training will commence in week one of 2018 and we will roll the project out to Prep – Year 2 Home Tutors throughout the year and will include:

• Development of a package of materials that can be delivered by SDE based Home Tutor Reading Coaches to home tutors to develop skills to support their child’s reading linked to the Australian Curriculum.
• Training of each SDE’s Home Tutor Reading Coach including visits to the DET Reading Centre for professional learning.
• Implementation of a face-to-face residential Partners in Learning programs for up to 25 participants per program.
• Access to materials online through each SDE for parents/home tutors who cannot attend the face-to-face residential program.
• Ongoing coaching and mentoring of parents/home tutors by SDE Home Tutor Reading Coach.
• Evaluation of the outcomes and benefits of the pilot to inform the continuation of the project in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Year 3-10 students:
Reading groups will continue for years 3-6.
Reading strategies will be incorporated into secondary subject areas.

Prep delivery:
We are commencing a new Prep C2C resource in 2018. This will align with the 5
eek units that other year levels work to and will be supported by one hour lessons, five days a week.

On-air lessons Year 1-6:
One hour Maths and English for each class Monday through to Thursday.

Friday will be a day for feedback, pastoral care, and an opportunity for students to catch up. The units will be adjusted to be completed with one less lesson a week.

Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday full of fun laughter and family and friends.

I look forward to 2018 so we can continue on our merry way.

Jenny

From the Deputy’s Desk

Wow! Only a few weeks left of school. Where did the year go??

The action started quickly this term with Roma Minischool in Week 2 with a total of 46 students. Thargomindah Minischool in Week 4 had 20 and Charleville in Week 5 had 32 students in attendance. I would like to again thank all the parents and home tutors who worked very hard during these Minischools to provide the students and teachers with much needed sustenance.

Of course, how can I forget the Western Alliance camp! This was held during Week 4 and was a tremendous success with 22 of our Charleville secondary students accompanied by Helen Cook and Jack Morris visiting Townsville and Magnetic Island. They were joined by another 20 students from MISOTA and LoSDE. They visited various businesses for career talks over the first couple of days. Over on Magnetic Island they enjoyed a number of activities including spending time at the beach with the bus arriving back in Charleville at 2am Sunday morning.

I enjoyed catching up with a number of students and their families during Swim Muster and Speech and Awards. I wish the outgoing 2017 School Leaders all the best for the future and I am looking forward to working closely with the 2018 School Leaders.

I am off to Japan in a couple of weeks joining teachers from Charters Towers SDE on a 10 day tour which will including visiting primary and junior secondary schools. I wish you and yours safe travels and Merry Christmas!

PLO Prattle

Wow what a term.

I attended 2 of the Minischools, Roma and Charleville and I attended the Western Alliance Camp during the week of Thargomindah Minischool. It was great to catch up with Parents and Home Tutors at the Minischools that I attended. Each Minischool always brings something different to the table of conversations, and it is good to hear people’s concerns.

I had a great time at W.A. Camp as it was a wonderful opportunity to get to know our older students. I learnt how to abseil along with the W.A. students. There were a couple of students who raced down the cliff face like they had been doing it all their lives, so much so that I started to think that they were mountain goats.

The brochure for Kick Start Conference has been completed and has been posted out in the blue mail bags. Remember there is an “Early Bird Special”.

On the Tuesday night of KSC we will be holding a “Colour Skirmish” along with a BBQ where you will be able to purchase a burger or chicken kebab from the Warrego Equestrian Club. This will be held at the Charleville Showgrounds. So make sure you bring your water device to wet as many students as possible.

Thursday afternoon the students will be presenting and showcasing what they have learnt with the “Dead Puppet Society”.

More helpful tips from Michael Grose

Help your kids develop positive life patterns

The habits that parents encourage in their kids will eventually become entrenched life patterns so it makes sense to encourage positive habits from the earliest possible age. Here are five positive habits to develop in kids that with practice, repetition and parental encouragement will become positive patterns or ways of behaving that generally stay for life:

1. Pattern of contribution: This pattern starts by parents developing the helping habit in their children. Expect your kids to help you and others without being paid. It’s the pattern that leaders in every field display.
2. Pattern of self-sufficiency: This pattern starts by parents encouraging kids to look after themselves; do simple life tasks and take increasing personal responsibility for their behaviour as they become older. Doing too much for kids puts the breaks on the self-sufficiency pattern.
3. Pattern of problem-solving: This wonderful pattern starts when parents give children ownership of their mistakes and challenges, allowing them to find their own solutions to problems. Rescuing and micro-managing children develops the pattern of dependence, which is an endemic among today’s twenty-somethings.
4. Pattern of help-seeking: Past generations are renowned for keeping adversity close to their chests rather than reaching out and seeking help and assistance from friends and family, or professional help, when needed. Encourage help-seeking behaviours in children and young people so that help-seeking becomes a normalised, accepted pattern when life gets tough.
5. Pattern of expressing gratitude: Ever noticed how some people seem to have so much in terms of wealth, possessions and talent yet they never seem happy with what they have, while others who may have very little in terms of material possessions are thankful for the little things that happen in life? This pattern of gratitude was more than likely established in childhood. It’s a wonderful resilience attribute that contributes so much to a person’s happiness and well-being.

It’s empowering as a parent to know that the habits we encourage in our kids usually become ingrained as patterns of behaviour that stay for life. It’s in this patterning that the true impact of parents and family-life can be found.

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and hopefully a wet new year. I also look forward to seeing you all again next year. To the families and students moving on enjoy the next chapter in your lives.

Cheers
Helen Cook
Parent Liaison Officer

Curriculum Corner

Prep Review

It is exciting to announce that next year we will have a new Prep Curriculum. This has been presented to Management Meeting and conversations have been had with the current Prep parents.

In 2018, the Prep units will look more like other primary units. So, rather than five sessions a day, students will have separate units for Maths, English, Science, History, Geography etc. These units will also become five week units rather than two week units.

Some of these lessons are very similar to the current Prep materials that we are currently using but they include a lot more instruction and scaffolding and are in a much better sequence. They also have more links with the Australian Curriculum and contain more ideas for how to teach reading.

On-air lessons will still remain as they are currently – covering supportive concepts. The Read it Again and Phonics lessons can be created into a booklet for paper-only families so they get access to this as well.

The current Preps will trial some of these new materials this year in place of Unit 19. The feedback so far has been very positive.

I would like to thank the C2C team for working with us to get this up and running for 2018 as they have some production work they need to do to make this happen.

If you have any questions around this or would like to know more, please contact Zoe Farrer.

2018 Curriculum

2018 unit schedules are complete. Again, I have tried to align as many of the learning areas as I can across year levels to assist multi-age families. These will be quite similar to this year with some minor changes. I have also recommended that teachers consider next year how to spread some units across the term rather than 5 weeks. We will need to monitor how this goes in terms of work return, feedback and reporting.

As with this year, the Unit Schedules are a guide but might be changed based on teacher knowledge of students, field events and so on. If concerned about changes to units including removal of lessons or swapping around of units, please communicate with your class teacher and he/she will be able to put your mind at ease. These changes should also be communicated through HT sessions.

In 2018, we will no longer be supplying back up DISCS but will replace them with USB sticks. Each student will receive one per semester and it will contain all subjects required for that semester. These will need to be returned with the Red Bag. Dance DVDs will still be supplied.

Changes to Primary on-air delivery in 2018

Our teachers have been doing some ‘thinking outside the box’ activities to consider how we can offer more effective teaching and learning opportunities for students.

One thing we would like to trial next year is English/Maths lessons delivered online Monday-Thursday only. The units will be reduced down to ensure the content fits within those days and I am confident that this is do-able whilst still ensuring deep learning.

This will mean that Friday would look like the following:

1. Teachers – spending the day providing feedback (weekly) on the units they are not teaching on air and spending some time providing adjustments/differentiation based on the work that has been returned. This will require parents to email in work on a weekly basis so that feedback can be received each week.
2. Students – will have some CLC work to complete and could also use this time to catch up and do some other incidental activities that it can be difficult to make time for. (E.g. independent writing, number facts, reading, and play.) In the future, this could also allow us the opportunity to implement other curriculum areas that we have difficulty fitting in at the moment.
3. There will be a positive behaviour/pastoral care session run on the Friday for students and parents to attend. Initially this will be focussing on the school-wide expectations for behaviour and then may move into more pastoral care/resilience type sessions.

We chose Friday as the day to not deliver on-air lessons as we have some students who attend mainstream on this day, so it is the day when there is the least disruption.

The management committee received this well and were happy to see it trialled. The teachers are also excited for the opportunities this opens up for effective and timely feedback for students. Other SDEs also currently do this model and the teachers and families report it as very valuable.

Thanks
Zoe Farrer
Head of Department – Teaching and Learning

Digital Discoveries

Microsoft Office 2016 Free

Students of Charleville SDE are able to access a free copy of Microsoft Office 2016 via Education Queensland. This provided students with the latest version of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, OneNote and Outlook. To access your copy contact the school technicians for a copy on CD or visit:

iPad App of the Month: MySchool Avatar

A fun app that allows students to create a character that talks using their own voice. Great for presentations when students have to record audio using expressive language. Something new and fun for the students to get the task done.

Email Etiquette

When you send a letter there is certain etiquette you follow and email is exactly the same. Here are some tips to follow next time you send an email:

1. Use the person’s name—start with Dear Bob or Hi Bob
2. Use your own name—remember to sign off with your own name so people know who the email is from
3. Re-read your message—always have a quick read to ensure you have said everything you wanted and haven’t included anything that may be taken the wrong way
4. Font and Colour—consider the font and colour of the text you use—is it easy enough to read? Avoid red and bold fonts as these can be seen as offensive.

Showcasing Student Work

The students of Year 7 Technologies have been completing a Digital Technologies unit in which they have been creating games for each other using the online programming site, Scratch. Students needed to use block coding to create algorithms to create a game that allowed a user to interact with the computer. Here are some screen shots of their creations.

Year 9 Technologies students have been developing concept Solar Cars that had to carry two eggs safely. Here is some of the end results:

Blogging

Have you tried blogging yet? Blogs are a great way for your child to communicate with their peers and teachers. It is also an excellent opportunity for them to develop their literacy skills. Remember your child can read and comment on other students’ blogs as well.

Ideas for blogs include:

• give your thoughts on a news story you have read,
• share a recent photo and write about what it shows,
• take a photo of a piece of work and tell others about it,
• create a daily diary of events,
• draw a picture or write a story and share it, or
• tell others about a book you have read.

Encourage your child to have a go on their own first and then type what they have written underneath before you save it.

Check out the latest blog posts:

Prep – Year 3 Student Link:

Years 4 – 9 Student Link:

Year 10 Student Link:

Games Blog

Do you love gaming? Why not join Mr Wicks on his blog to discuss all your gaming tricks and tips.

End of Year Clean Up

When you buy a car, you know you’re going to have to maintain it. The oil needs to be changed, the air filter replaced, the tyres changed – all on a regular schedule – so you can trust your vehicle will be available when you need it to get you safely where you want to go. Keeping your computer working well is much the same; it involves ongoing maintenance, not a ‘one shot’ fix. Spending a little time maintaining your computer will ensure that your computer is working for you when you want to use it.

The following tips will provide you with general information to help you maintain your computer. If you require more specific help you can use the Help feature in Windows, which contains answers to many questions.

Purchase an UPS

This is an Uninterruptable Power Supply and will keep your computer from shutting down during power outages and will protect your computer from low and high voltage occurrences. An UPS is far superior to a surge protector and will save your computer from almost any power type disaster.

Backup

Backup any data you cannot afford to lose to at least two separate physical drives. You can use CD-RW, USB Memory Sticks or External Hard Drives. The time to backup is when you create something you can’t afford to lose.

Defragmentation (Defrag)

The Operating system stores new data in whatever space is free on your hard drive and so data files become spread out across the disk as they are updated. This causes extra work to read them each time you use them. The defragmentation process sorts through the data and stores them in a more efficient manner – making your computer work smarter and faster.

Steps

1. Open My Computer.
2. Right-click the local disk volume that you want to defragment, and then click Properties.
3. On the Tools tab, click Defragment Now.
4. Click Defragment.

Note: If this is the first time you have ‘defragged’ your computer it may take a number of hours.

Disk CleanUp

This utility will remove files on your hard disk that you no longer use, thus making more room and making your computer run more efficiently.

Follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2. Right-click the disk in which you want to free up space, and then click Properties.
3. Click the General tab, and then click Disk Cleanup.
4. Click the Disk Cleanup tab (if it is not already selected), click to select the check boxes next to the files that you want to remove, and then click OK.
5. Click Yes to proceed with this action, and then click OK.

Cleaning

Dust is the enemy of computers and yet they tend to attract dust more than any other object in your home. Invest in a dust cover to help reduce static and protect your computer screen. Canned air is also handy for cleaning keyboards and other hard to reach places. Canned air releases a concentrated blast of air through a thin straw.

From the Technician’s Table

Did you know that most problems with the phone and headset can usually be resolved over the phone?

There are occasions when the equipment does become faulty, but the equipment is so designed that it can be fixed in parts.

The Headset has replaceable parts such as:

• Voice Tube - (slides off the metal boom arm on the Headset)
• Foam Ear Pads - (if deteriorated can easily be replaced)
• PTT Switch - (Push To Talk Switch)
• Vista Cable - (lower part of the cable that plugs into the Phone and into the PTT Switch)

The Phone also has some replaceable parts such as:

• Handset Cord – (coiled cord from Phone to the Handset)
• Handset – (Phone Handpiece)
• Phone Cable – (cable that goes from the Phone to the wall socket)
• Adaptor Plug – (adaptor from RJ12 to 605 plug)

This was deliberately done when we originally developed the phone equipment for the use of the students so that they could have minimum downtime when something went wrong.

The school has most parts in stock so these can easily be sent to families to replace the faulty parts.

Most times the phone can be still used for lessons in some form or another until the new part/s arrives.

There will be the odd time that the phone or headset may be completely faulty and needs to be replaced but we usually can get a replacement to you.

This is why the school asks for the families to contact the Technical Officer if something goes wrong before sending any phone equipment back to the school (unless you are cancelling enrolment).

The Technical Officer also asks the families if they can retain the boxes and packaging that the phone equipment came in for when it has to be returned to the school.

Some phones have come back to the school dirty and we would like to remind the families that it is a condition of the Loan Agreement that you keep the phone clean otherwise a cleaning fee may be deducted from your Bond.

Cleaning Your Phone and Headset

It is important to keep your school phone and headset clean so it remains in working condition. Here are some handy hints:

• Clean using a damp cloth with a little bit of ‘Spray and Wipe’ (applying it to a cloth, not directly onto the equipment)
• A quick wipe is often the best way to keep the equipment clean
• Headsets have foam ear pads that can be taken off and washed in warm soapy water then rinsed and allowed to dry completely before putting back onto the headset
• The voice tube on the headset (the clear plastic tube) can be slid off and soaked in warm soapy water for 5—10 minutes. During this time blow back through the tube a couple of times to unblock the filter end.
• Rinse the voice tube with clean water and leave to dry completely before reattaching to the headset.

If you have any problems with your phone or headset please contact the school technician before sending any equipment into the school.

If you have any problems with your Phone or Headset please contact Bill Grant on 07 4656 8909

Charleville School of Distance Education Laptop Hire Scheme

What is the SDE Laptop Hire Scheme? the SDE Laptop Hire Scheme?

The scheme offers K-12 geographically isolated SDE enrolled studeqnts the opportunity to supplement their computer and broadband subsidies by hiring a laptop device from their SDE for educational use. The parent/caregiver opts into the program with their students’ respective SDE, pays a yearly fee and signs a Memorandum of Understanding to agree to participate in the scheme.

Do I qualify for the program?

Each student must comply with the following criteria to access the program:

• Be registered in a Queensland School of Distance Education.
• Be identified as a Geographically Isolated student.
• Qualify to receive the computer and broadband subsidies.

How much does the scheme cost?

The scheme is a three year commitment of $500 per year.

Participants can choose to use their Queensland Education Hardware Subsidy to participate in the scheme. Additional value is provided in the scheme where:

• The device has been purchased using DETs bulk purchasing power
• All software identified as being necessary for SDE learning experiences has been purchased and pre-installed on the device (no need for parents to purchase this separately)
• The laptop is supported for all warranty faults and issues for the 3 years of the scheme and then they can choose to receive a new device

For full details see the attached Student Laptop Hire Loan Scheme flyer or contact the Technical Officer Bill Grant on 07 4656 8909

Girl Guides

Did you know that Charleville School of Distance Education has its own Girl Guide Unit? The 2nd Charleville (Lone) Guides is an official part of Girl Guides Queensland. In 2016 we will continue Girl Guide sessions on Tuesday afternoons at 3:00pm.

Our weekly sessions (subject to leader availablility during field events) are run as an on-air session using Web Conferencing. The girls learn about the World of Guides, they strive for badges, help out in their community, have fun and fellowship, and meet during Field Events if possible.

Email Mrs Sam O on sowcz1@eq.edu.au if you would like to join and application forms and information will be forwarded to you.

Garrabarrabash – State Camp 2017

Kristy and Mrs O made the mammoth journey to the Girl Guide State Camp near Cairns in the September school holidays. The two spent 3 days at Garradunga Girl Guide Camp Site where they did Circus tricks, mural painting, archery, played Quidditch and completed an obstacle course. They then spent a day off site with Mrs O heading to Fitzroy Island for a day of snorkelling, paddle boarding and visiting the turtle rescue centre. Meanwhile Kristy went to Cairns and experienced the Aquarium and Zoom! The two then moved campsites and spent the remaining three days at Barrabadean Scout Campsite where they were challenged by abseiling, canoeing, low and high ropes and a wide game.

Lone Guides at State Camp

Campsite and Scenery

Teaching and Learning Library

Effective Feedback…

This term, Katy Williams has been taking classes to allow teachers the time to deeply consider feedback. Using Anita Archer’s book, Explicit Instruction, teachers have had the opportunity to think about what effective feedback looks like and how and when to give it. They have anlysed scenarios and watched a recording of one of their own lessons to consider how their feedback could be improved and what they are already doing that is working.

One of our teachers, Alex Kirby has taken this one step further and has been trialling the use of Seesaw with her Year 1 classes as a platform for providing more immediate feedback.

The easiest way to explain it is to say that Seesaw is essentially like Facebook for the classroom. The teacher sets up the class and restricts access depending upon what he/she would like the students to do. You need to be invited to join the class to see the posts.

Students and the teacher are then able to upload lots of things like images, videos and write comments. The teacher is then able to like these posts and can either type comments or audio record comments/feedback for the student. Students can see each other’s work and make comments if they wish.

One example from another SDE for how this has been utilised successfully is for a student who had struggled to count to 20, often forgetting 13. She was away on holidays and was using shells to practise counting and something clicked. Her mum was able to record this student counting the shells and upload it then and there.

Another example is where a class teacher from another SDE has uploaded a video of herself modelling how to do an explicit writing lesson. So, the platform could be used to create short videos of best practice to share with the rest of the school community.

Alex has said that this is allowing her to see students doing tasks that she otherwise would not be able to see them do. This is also helping Alex to stay on top of her work return as she is doing most of it on a daily basis.

There are other positive comments from the parents who are are loving that the students are getting feedback very quickly and in a form that they can access without any adult support.

Alex has shared how she is using this at a staff meeting this term so that other staff can see how it is working.

Congratulations Alex for giving this a go and thank you to the Year 1 parents for being open to this possiblity as well. We look forward to learning more.

Thanks
Zoe Farrer
Head of Department – Teaching and Learning

P & C News

Do you have any suggestions for purchases the P and C should put in the budget for 2018? Please bring any ideas to the meeting or email Brie or Michelle McInnerney with your suggestions.

Congratulations Sporting Stars

Bill Brand came second for this season in the juvenile bareback/saddle in Queensland Rodeo Association. The buckle he is wearing is for the Western Buckle Series. He came first for the juvenile bareback/saddle.

Well done Bill!

Rohan Pampling, Harry Sewell and Josh Bredhauer attended the Cricket district trials in Charleville in August. They were chosen to represent Charleville and District at the under 12s South West Regional cricket trials in Chinchilla on 10 and 11 Sept.

Well done Rohan, Harry and Josh !

2018 Commonwealth Games Torch Bearers

Congratulations to Logan Flynn, Rohan Pampling, Akierraleigh Denton, Sam Owczarek and Kerry Radnedge who are representing the school and their regions in the 2018 Commonwealth Games Torch Relay.

KM Club Term 4

Thank you for passing on your Km Club tallies to your teacher. Currently Narungi is still in the lead by a fair margin but don’t despair Kanyanna! They will be 20 points awarded to each child that participates in the 2017 Swim Muster on Monday 13th November. The winning team will be the first to win the Km Club Champions Trophy, which will be presented at Swim Muster.

Roma Minischool Term 4

It got a little weird and whacky at this term’s Roma Minischool. Students created weird and whacky racers, watched an amazing opera performance of Hansel and Gretel and had lots of fun exploring the photo booth at the disco. Many new games were learnt such as Relay Tic Tac Toe and Twister as well as learning many weird facts in the Trivia Night Showdown. A big thank you to the food coordinator Brie Boyle, her assistant Michelle McInnerney and our wonderful parents and Home Tutors who constantly outdid themselves with the amazing food. Unfortunately this Minischool seemed to have an extreme outbreak of bad fashion but that didn’t stop the fun. It is a sad goodbye to our Year 6 leaders but a big hello to the eKindy kids who will be joining us for Prep next year.

A Fond Farewell

At Term 4 Roma Minischool, P & C President Michelle McInnerney and Secretary Brie Boyle acknowledged the commitment of two of our longest serving Home Tutors. Mrs Michelle Freshwater and Mrs Anne-Marie Flynn will no longer make the trek into Roma twice a year as their eldest children will graduate from Year 6 this year. The staff and students thank them for their dedication to making Minischools events to be remembered and wish them all the best.

Welcome 2018 Captains!

CSDE is thrilled to welcome our new 2018 School Captains! Renae Hubbard and Savannah Blacket are our Senior School Captains and Holly Hortin is a School Leader. Lillie Brand and Xavier Austin are our wonderful Junior School Captains. Each captain comes with their own unique skills and talents and we cannot wait to see how they will make 2018 amazing!

We would also like to welcome our 2018 House Captains! Hugo Tully and Daniel Goddard are representing Narungi and William Bryant and Harry Sewell are representing Kanyanna. Their sportsmanship and dedication to their teams will mean a fun and exciting year!

Colour Skirmish – Kickstart 2018

Speech & Awards 2017

WA Camp 2017 – Townsville & Magnetic Island

At any school, camp is a time for adventure and excitement, however at Charleville School of Distance Education it is a special moment for students to conquer fears, push their limits, and make memories with their friends without barriers of distance or isolation. In Week 4, of Term 4 students and teachers in the Western Alliance made the long…long journey to Townsville and Magnetic Island.

Day 1: The wheels on the bus go round and round… and round… and round…

We set off late Saturday night from Charleville picking up our friends along way at Morven, Mitchell, Roma, and Injune. A stop at Emerald for breakfast after what seemed like forever cramped in the bus, and we were only half way! While stopping for lunch at Charters Towers we ran into our good friends from Mount Isa School of the Air. A quick round of hugs and “hello” only increase the anticipation of the week ahead. We all rolled into Townsville later that afternoon, after a mammoth 18hrs on the move!

Day 2: Out and about Townsville

After a long sleep, we were fresh and ready to get out and about and explore the wonderful sights of Townsville. The day started with a tour of the Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) head office. Students received a wonderful insight into the wonderfully complex operations of managing all commercial shipping through the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Islands. A tour of the Port of Townsville followed showing the range of products imported and exported through the facility including sugar, molasses, mineral ores, gas, and live cattle. The afternoon contained a career talk with the ADF, and an opportunity to shop at the local Castletown Shopping Centre. The competition was on to see who could buy the coolest pair of sunglass! The day finished with a movie at the cinemas. This time the competition was to see who could eat the most popcorn!

Day 3: Coding, Careers & calm seas

Another day enjoying the best Townsville had to offer. The morning was spent under the fine tutelage of some computer coding geniuses, as a part of the Telstra Country Wide Coding Program. Students worked in teams to build their own computer game. We then travelled to the local James Cook University where students were introduced to the many educational opportunities as well as a tour of the residential facilities available. The day concluded with a tour of the Bohle Trade Training Centre, looking at career opportunities in the Trade and Training sector. The time had finally come to board the barge and travel over to Magnetic Island. Calm seas and sunny skies made for an inviting welcome to the Island.

Day 4: A day of firsts!

The first day on the Island had everyone buzzing. For many, today would be the first walk on the sand and a first swim in the ocean. For some the swim came rather quickly as they struggled to stay up on the ocean kayaks. Waves breaking close to shore flipped and flopped a few off, but they were straight back on and keen for more. Many boats anchored in Horseshoe Bay created a wonderful maze to paddle through. An amazing race full of clues, obstacles, and tests had teams working together to problem solve and overcome challenges. An afternoon of fun in the sun saw a great time had by all, swimming and some of the best sand castles I’ve ever seen! The night activity had the group on the Jetty fishing, hoping to catch a big feed. There was plenty of sea life activity, with squid and stingrays entertaining a few. Mr Morris was crowned the Fishing champion as he reeled in the biggest (and only….) fish of the night.

Day 5: Pushing kids off cliffs & working up a sweat

We awoke to crystal clear skies once again, perfect for hanging off the edge of the world! Students stumbled up the hill, frantically trying to catch their breath at the top, only to look up once more and see the instructor pointing to the exposed rocky peak and “this is only halfway!” Another clamber up and over rocks along a single file goat track lead to the edge and the abyss. A stunning view over Nelly Bay greeted us atop the cliff face. One-by-one students went over the edge with looks of terror, but determination in their eyes, to conquer what lay before them. A switch to ‘boot camp’ tested even the fittest students and teachers. The humidity was unbearable…the heat exhausting…the exercises punishing…but no one quit! A water bomb fight with giant catapults was just the remedy for a bunch of very tired and very sweaty kids. Halloween was celebrated by the sharing of scary and spooky stories, along with plenty of jokes and laughs to end the day.

Day 6: Sun, Sand &Surf

Our last day of camp was what everyone had been looking forward to. Never mind the big city, never mind the adrenaline rush of abseiling, a whole day of sun, surf and sand was the highlight of the trip. Students soaked up every last bit of sun Magnetic Island had to offer. Every last moment was spent in the surf, every last ice-cream was found, bought and eaten! The artistic talents of the Western Alliance were on display with the 2017 sandcastle building champions crowned. A very tired bunch of kids marched back to the camp that afternoon. Not even halfway through the night-time movie were they asleep. An early night was had for an early start awaited for our trip to head home.

Day 7: The wheels on the bus go round and round… and round… and round… again

To say it was a teary farewell would be a drastic understatement – and not just because we knew we had to get back on that bus, I know I speak for all staff when I say that it was the group of students who made the camp so special. A huge thanks to the staff, families and students who made the week possible!

Mr Morris

HOD FINAL NEWSLETTER

This will be my last CSDE newsletter article not only for the year, but forever! In case you didn’t know, I applied for a transfer this year and was successful in getting it. Next year, I will be back in a classroom at Nambour State College, teaching little people again. This change fills me with great excitement, nerves, a few tears for what I’m leaving and nostalgia from the memories I’ve created here over the last 5 years.

So, in signing out, I’d really like to leave with a flash of memories. Maybe it will inspire future SDE teachers. Maybe it will just fill some lines on a screen. Hopefully it will make you smile.

Tuesday morning of Minischool in Roma, Term 4, 2017… my last day at Roma Minischool ever. I was busy setting up for the parent session when I was caught off-guard by “MISS FARRER!!!!!” A student who I had taught 3 years ago, who now matches me for height, comes running over with the most welcoming smile. Teenagers… I thought to them it was ‘uncool’ to talk to adults, let alone make it so public that you’re excited to see one.

Nevertheless, in this moment I paused and had a flash of what my time at Charleville SDE has been like.

I imagined back to the September holidays when I found out I’d been transferred here. I was seeing the town through tears and thinking “wow… oh my… what have I got myself in for”. I will be honest, I had not been further west than Toowoomba. I didn’t realise that emus walking down the street were an actual thing and that shops weren’t open past 7pm.

And then January came around and it was time to start. I don’t really remember my first lesson or my first few days. However, I do remember feeling completely out of my depth for a good 6 months…. Maybe 12!

I can’t count the number of times the students had to wait for me to work out the technology or the number of questions my fellow teachers had to answer as I was learning the ropes. However, the biggest thing for me was building relationships. This was something I had never really struggled with and yet, these students didn’t seem to laugh at my jokes! I honestly imagined them sitting in a lesson, frowning and thinking “who is this lady!?”

Thankfully Minischools were only 7 weeks into the term and when I finally got to meet students face-to-face, they started to understand who I was and vice versa. That’s when they realised I was making jokes, not just talking. That’s when they realised that I wanted to have fun and make my learning environment as exciting as possible and hopefully, that’s when they realised how much I care about my students.

I feel like my mantra should have been… “Oh so many things to learn!” I had to learn about trotting and cantering… there’s a difference? I had to understand that 8 year old children were keen to drive tractors and could probably do so better than I could. There was my very first visit to a property where I was taken out mustering in a ute driven by someone much younger than myself and put on a horse who had no interest in taking me anywhere.

From a teaching perspective, I learnt that not everything I know from the classroom had to be thrown out the window… I simply needed to reconsider how I delivered it. I needed to think carefully about my instructions, my questions, my speed, my tone of voice, my volume. I needed to consider how to engage students in a learning environment that I struggle to learn in. I needed to hear from parents that the student who I thought was learning, was actually hanging upside down off her chair. I had to learn that parents are passionate about their children’s education and that a question about my teaching is not necessarily about me but a question worth investigating. I learnt to embrace families, Home Tutors, students and all that goes with that and I came to know that these were my biggest asset. And most of all, I had to learn how to embrace all of what I didn’t know so that I loved my time here.

I wonder what the students I taught remember of me as a teacher? Was it my errors? Was it the quality of my slides? Was it my terrible jokes? Or do they remember me for some of the good things?

As HOD, I’ve come to learn that change is everywhere. Everyone has different ideas based on their beliefs, their background experiences, their trust in others and let’s be honest… their fatigue. Change is inevitable, we need it to keep doing better for our students and I’m thankful that the teachers in this school have trusted me to help our school continue to grow.

Finally there are my celebrations. I celebrate the relationships that I have built with students, parents, VISE teachers and colleagues both near and far. These, I will cherish forever. I celebrate that student who hated school and would refuse to attend (or did so kicking and screaming) but slowly, slowly, he started to like my classes and ended the year being able to say “I’ll just give it a go and come back to you for help if that’s ok”. I celebrate the support we have been able to put in place for teachers with planning, data and observations (thank you parents for your understanding that this leads to better outcomes for students). I celebrate the time that I have spent helping Home Tutors with our sessions around reading, vocabulary, growth mindset and the list goes on. I’ve enjoyed our debates, our laughs, your questions and challenges. And finally, I celebrate a change to Prep and hope that it will make life easier for Home Tutors from 2018 onwards!

Thank you to the staff for questioning processes, for thinking outside the box for solutions, for trusting in my process (those that worked and those that didn’t) and for allowing me to work with you. Mostly though, thank you for your tireless dedication to our students (even during stressful and challenging times) and making these young people the focus of all that we do.

Thank you to our students for attending lessons and giving all that you can at either 8am or 3pm, even when you can see the adults out mustering and dreaming of where you’d rather be. Thank you for being grateful for your teachers and for showing us that whilst we are divided by distance, we are united by voice.

Finally, thank you to the parents and Home Tutors. For many of you, our relationships have been built over many years. Thank you for trusting me when I wanted to implement more change, for coming to me with your concerns and helping me to come up with solutions, for understanding when there are things I cannot change and for being eager to learn at all our PD sessions. Thank you for your friendly faces at field events and for taking the time out with me to share your world. But mostly, I want to say the biggest thank you for the dedication that you show to your children and their education – this is second to none and I will truly miss this close working relationship.

So, as an end, I’d like to say I have loved my time here and I’m really proud of our school and the progress we have managed to make together. Remember, everyone is on a journey and no one has all the answers. I’ve come to understand that if we can be patient, understanding, clear in our communication and above all know that we just want the best for our children, then “oh the places we will go”.

I wish you all a safe and happy holiday and all the best for the future

Thanks
Zoe Farrer
HOD – Teaching and Learning